New member, new lathe

[Steff Pace]

Hi to you all, I am a new member to the Sawmill Creek forum. My dear, sweet, unsuspecting husband bought me a Jet 1014i mini lathe for Christmas, and I would like to thank all the folks here for educating me as I lurked, trying to figure out what I wanted. Well, the Oneway and the Powermatic were way out of my present league ( I do plan on winning the lottery someday), so I cheerfully "settled" for my Mini. I especially want to thank a gentleman named Rob for posting photos and plans on making a lathe stand. I am so proud of making the tablesaw crosscut sled before I could make the stand with its tenons and mortices (note to self-get morticing adapter for drill press), then my husband bless his heart got me a portable planer to smooth away all the glue drips and kindof even out the crooked 2x6's. But it looks really great! Then I went with several suggestions on the Harbor Freight tool set, and actually began to sharpen them, but wait! I needed the jigs to use on my Tormek to sharpen them. So another trip to W%$#@&craft and $$$ later, I started, again to sharpen. Then I noticed that the wooden handles on the turning tools were really rough and lumpy with whatever finish was used, so off that came and a little sanding and a little staining and they are STILL purple. But better. And they still aren't sharpened, and its almost the END of January AND I STILL HAVEN'T EVEN TURNED ON THE BLANKETY BLANK LATHE!!!! So, hello everyone, I am very happy to have any advice you all can give me on turning. I did make a bowl (cup? anyway, it's round) at a class at a local supply store. I can't wait to get started. Do steak knifes work well as turning tools????
Steff

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome to SMC Steff. Lots of good people and lots of knowledge. Sounds to me like you are pretty well setup for turning. Steak knives for turning??:eek: I must confess I have a couple of fairly wide but thin stainless steel steak knives I bought at a yard sale that I made into this parting tools. They work great. So again welcome. We like lots of pictures of turnings and if you have questions ask away. You'll probably have 3 or 4 answers within minutes.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Steff - Welcome to the Creek! Sounds like you have a great start on turning and a husband who understands the need for tools! Good for him! Only suggestion I can make at this point is Photos - we like lots of photos! Photos of you lathe, tools, tool handles, wood, shop... well you get the idea!

Looking forward to seeing some of your turnings real soon!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Welcome to the Creek and the turning Vortex Steff!

[Dewey Torres]

Steff,
Let me join you in our journey to the vortex and welcome to the Creek:D

[Jeff Nicol]

Steff, Congrats on the lathe and joining SMC! We are out here with tons of knowlege and information to send your way whenever the need arrives! I have used old knives to make tools for turning miniatures and as texturing tools (chatter tools) Your imagination is your only limitation, and maybe money!!!!

Good luck, turn safe and welcome,

Jeff

[Peter Lamb]

You may think you are addicted now but wait it only gets better with time and work!! Good luck and God speed.
Peter

[Jim Kountz]

Steff welcome to the creek and looking forward to seeing some good stuff come off that new lathe!!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have the Jet mini too. Good mini.

If you're looking for something a little better than steak knives to turn with, I would suggest *gasp* HF turning tool set. 8 pcs, around 40 bucks shipped to your door. They are CHEAP, and require frequent trips to the Tormek, but they are cheap. They in no way compare to a Sorby, but you get a lot for cheap. I got it mainly for the roughing gouge.

Buy the book mini lathe magic. It has a lot of good info, and after reading it I was able to turn a walnut goblet.

[Joe Mioux]

There aren't any pictures of this "imaginery" lathe.

You violated a rule. ;)

joe

ps. welcome to the creek.

[Steff Pace]

As soon as I get the pink flamingo party lights hung, I will post a photo. I am pretty proud of my lathe stand, I am new to woodworking in general and it was a challenge. I figured I saved $120 by making it instead of buying the Jet stand and extension. Thanks for all your wonderful comments! I really do have one, truly. Can anyone tell me how to post pictures? Did I mention I am new to posting, too?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Steff - this should have all the info you need regarding photos. If you still have questions - please ask.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=25115

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Steff,

Click on "Post Reply" button....then type in text.....then scroll down to the bottom and click manage attachments....

On the attachments window...browse to the photos on your computer and then select them....click upload....maximum number of 5 photos per post....then close the window....DO NOT select Preview Post. Click on submit reply....

[Allen Schmid]

Steff,
Welcome to SMC! As already mentioned you will have many questions answered and lots of encouragement from this group. We all had to start somewhere and this group is top-notch! A very knowledgeable bunch. Good for you on entering the vortex...there is no looking back.
Allen

[Steff Pace]

Well, here goes, first photo is after stand is done and before I took over hubby's shop and painted, then a photo of my clean white corner of it with my new lathe set up. Last pic is my tools, with first coat of shellac-leaving them bare not an option, purple dye still coming off even after laquer thinner and sanding. Harbor Freight cheap made in China. Well, as long as they cut ok. Can anyone point me in the right direction for basic bevels to sharpen on them just to get me started? Book, website, etc, this is just a starter set of 8, so I don't need Mr Famous's secret pinkie grind or anything. Thanks!

[Steff Pace]

Also, thanks for the instructions on uploading photos, pretty easy once ya know where to go.

[Steve Mawson]

Looks like you are off to a great start. Have a new lathe, learned how to post pictures and have some tools. Richard Raffan has a book "Turning Bowls" in which he discusses grinding tools. However this is somewhat related to grinding tools for bowl making. I did think it helped me.

[Steve Campbell]

Welcome Steff. Nice looking set up. You'll be turning like a pro in no time. I really think the pink Flamingos a lot to you're CORNER.

Steve

[George Morris]

Welcome enjoy your new passion! I am wondering if it is time to start a new place on sawmill creek for a 12 step program for turners . We may even have to allow the flat wood workers and carvers into the program. But I digress, welcome and hold on it is a fun ride!! George

[Joe Mioux]

Stef,

Thanks for posting the pics. Your stand is great.

good luck -from one new turner to another.

joe

[Cyril Griesbach]

Beautiful stand for that nice lathe.

[Bill Bolen]

Welcome Steff...OK...first thing while hubby is still realing....tell him he MUST get a riser block and a timberwolf blade for that Grizzly bandsaw in "his" corner. You will need it for cutting those soon to arrive logs to make into bowl blanks!..Bill...

[Dick Strauss]

Steff,
Welcome and congrats on the new toys..er tools that is. It looks like you are off to a good start. As far as sharpening goes, you should just follow the factory bevels for now on the parting tool, roughing gouges, spindle gouge, and scraper. I don't know what jigs are needed for sharpening on the Tormek but it can easily be done on a standard grinder as well.

You might want to find a local AAW chapter and attend a few meetings to find a turning mentor (assuming your hubby doesn't turn?). It is one thing to read a book or watch a video about how to do something but is completely different and much easier to do it in with someone showing you how in person.

Good luck,
Dick

[Alan Huey]

Welcome to the Creek! You will be amazed at the quality of the work that many of our members accomplish. It will constantly give you something new to strive for..
Welcome to the vortex

[David Drickhamer]

Hey Steff, Nice looking shop but I don't see any chips on the floor. :D

[Graham Sugar]

Steff
You know how to hurt
I would kill for a workshop like that:mad::mad:
But welcome to the addictive world of woodturning the vortex even streches accross the world to us down under
regards
Graham Sugar

[alex carey]

Welcome to the Vortex. It looks like you got quite the set up. The stand looks very nice. Did you bolt the lathe to the stand, if you didn't it might be a good idea.

As far as sharpening. Initially using the factory grinds is good advice. The best way to keep those grinds is by shading the edge with a black sharpie. Then when you take it to a grinder you can see what you are sharpening. It helped me a lot in the beginning.

Alex

[Don Orr]

Hi Steff,

Very nice job on the lathe stand ! It will serve you well.

Sharpening is a whole separate skill set when working with turning tools. I see in your photos that you have a bench grinder as well as your Tormek. The grinder is good for establishing the basic shape and angles of the tool, while the Tormek is good for keeping the tools keenly sharp. Most of the HF tools come with reasonable grind shapes and angles to start with, they just need to be sharpened. Also clean the lacquer off the tools (the metal part) as well if you have not done that yet. The HF gouges are easily sharpened on the grinder by adjusting the rest so the tool angle matches the wheel. Hold the tool flat on the grinder rest and just roll it side to side without swinging the handle at all. Keep the whole tool in line with the wheel. It's a "no frills" grind but it cuts wood. Roll the tools all the way over onto the sides so the corners get ground back a little. An angle of about 45 deg. is a good place to start

One of the best books for beginners is "A Foundation Course in Woodturning" by Keith Rowley. An excellant book with good diagrams. You might even find it in your local library.

There are lots of videos out there also. AAW has a good one on sharpening I believe. Anything by Alan Lacer is good too.

I hope this helps a little. Turning is addictive and we can be your support group. I don't post many pictures since I don't get to turn much. There's a picture of me standing next to a huge burl on this forum from Sunday 1/26 if you haven't seen it yet.

Nice paint job too. The white will help get more light onto your work. The flamingo lights are a great touch !

You can't hurt those tools by just grinding and trying them-give it a go ! And most important of all-HAVE FUN !

[Randy Schaffer]

Nice stand Stef and great setup for that lathe. I am pretty much in the same place as you in turning (but still with wood for my stand but not yet built).

I checked out a pile of books from the library on turning and almost all of them have good sharpening information. Richard Raffan's various books are quite nice and have some excellent sharpening photos, but following some other advice from Creeker's I bought Rowley's book, Woodturning a Foundation Course, for my "shop manual". It looks like a very good get going book.

I have hand sharpened my tools as I have no grinder. That Tormek looks like the way to go for me though. You have a great beginning.

[Steff Pace]

You guys have amazingly sharp eyes! Yes that is a Grizzly bandsaw, and hubby informs we do have a riser block for it, it's been in the box covered in dust for about 4 years. I will get him talked into it. The tools are sharpened and I did as some suggested and stuck with the factory grind for now. The skews are at 20 deg, I read somewhere that the skews should be around 30 deg?? They look flat. And the small bowl gouge? I think it's a bowl gouge, it's the smallest round shanked u-shaped tool in the set, the wings were not very far back, they swept almost straight up to the top instead of angling back like a fingernail grind, so I took it back further. It took me longer to figure out the directions on all the jigs I have than to actually sharpen. Still no shavings on the floor, if you noticed the pink flamingos, you probably saw the unpainted section, that is a fairly large crack I discovered while painting, and it is matched by a larger one in the other corner, so the cement dude is coming to fix both tomorrow. Had to move the lathe out of the corner so they could get to the area. Lathe isn't fastened down yet, wanted pics to show off. Oh, and the electrician is coming tomorrow too to give us a quote on adding outlets. My corner doesn't have anywhere to plug my lathe in! Getting tired of tripping over the power strip plugged into the extension cord plugged into another extension cord strung the length of the basement. Oh, I forgot the 3 way adaptors, too. Can we say fire hazard! But there is 220 for the band saw and the table saw, hubby had to have priorities. I gotta tell ya, I will feel very lucky if I get to turn before spring is here. At least the tools are sharp! And I actually did turn the lathe on a couple of times!!! I really love all the beautiful work I have seen on SMC, and appreciate all your great comments and help!

[Wyatt Holm]

Hello,
Looks like your in trouble, you got a lathe now. This should help you sharpen.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m8-8MNhpvY

[Steff Pace]

Thanks, Wyatt, that is a great video. I searched and found a few more, too- spending too much time on the 'puter, not enough in the shop! Cracks are fixed and the electrician gets here tomorrow. Signed up for a pen class at Woodcraft, I haven't made one yet and already I got orders to fill! People find out I am taking a class and everyone wants one! I hope they are not too hard to do, I suspect I will be making quite a few. Can't wait.